MCC’s Prepare to Attend College Celebrates Student Success

On Friday, April 5, Middlesex Community College’s Prepare to Attend College (PAC) graduation ceremony celebrated students and honored their success. During the ceremony, graduates reflected on their experiences, received certificates, and had a potluck lunch and sang a celebratory song.

Sedighe Rostamiozemchelouei, from Iran and now living in Stow, graduated from MCC’s PAC Two course. Rostamiozemchelouei felt grateful about joining the program after her friend recommended it.

“Throughout this experience, I have gained a tremendous amount of knowledge,” Rostamiozemchelouei said. “The teachers at MCC are amazing. They are helpful and have made learning fun. It has been a journey of growth and learning for me and opened new possibilities so I am excited to see where this journey will take me.”

Rostamiozemchelouei and PAC One student Mariam Ababri spoke at the graduation. Both students talked about how the PAC program helped them feel more confident with their English skills. They were glad to learn about American culture and meet their classmates.

Ababri, from Morocco and now living in Dracut, was thankful for the experience. In particular, she was appreciative of class instructor Faithe MacElliott’s teachings.

“I have much more confidence with talking to others,” Ababri said. “I would not be in this position if it were not for my brilliant teacher believing in me.”

After the PAC graduates spoke, MacElliott gave the graduates their certificates.

“Our classroom is often the first opportunity students have to make friends in a new country. These connections can help them better understand cultural differences through shared experiences in a new environment,” MacElliott said. “As time goes by, students gain confidence speaking in front of others. At the end of most classes, we break into smaller groups, which gives students an opportunity to discuss any topic while practicing their pronunciation and language structures.”

In addition, MacElliott introduces students to college resources such as the Academic Center for Enrichment for tutoring, building study skills and additional English practice. The college also offers access to on-campus services such as the libraries and food pantries. As the course finishes, MCC’s academic advisors visit to speak to graduates about continuing their education with various options, including enrolling in credit classes.

The PAC program is a part of MCC’s English Learner Institute (ELI) which offers non-native English speakers the opportunity to improve their English skills. The PAC program runs three times a year and learners complete it in eight-weeks. It is free, flexible and split into two levels.

“I cannot wait to see what they do next,” said Katy Gentile, MCC’s Assistant Director of Corporate Education and Training. “Watching how proud each student was to receive the certificate, come together to sing a graduation celebration song, and then spend time eating the food they brought for a potluck lunch, was absolutely amazing and uplifting.”